Unpopular opinions

[Gommes_]

Something new to the topic:
I absolutely loved the dong kicks from 2011 - 2013. Gave most tracks so much energy and drive and I think most new tracks would sound better with them compared to the hollow, crunchy and dull kicks.

[Qobalt]

NC prefaced all psy-kick trend in his IQON anthem second mid-intro and Hands Up track.

[battlejellyfish]

I don't know anyone on this planet who likes Biological Insanity hehe

Well, the melody isn't that bad, but everything else is just pure garbage.

Exact opposite to me. Everything else is decent/listenable except the melody and the mainpart. They're seriously making me fucking uncomfortable

Unpopular opinion. Years can't be used to describe certain styles in hardstyle. Only in bigger lines. I've seen a lot of "this and that year are this in hardstyle" and all I can think of, hmm totally didn't feel that way for me. Even right now in 2020 I am releasing melodic "nu-style" tracks or occasional reverse bass tracks. It's just what you use to compare. Do you only check the artists that follow trends and hypes or also include those that dare to do something different?

I don't get what you mean You say you can't describe hardstyle solely looking at one year but through a bigger timespan and then you're talking about following hypes, trends. I don't get the relation you wanted to tell, it's confusing

NC prefaced all psy-kick trend in his IQON anthem second mid-intro and Hands Up track.

So Phrantic with LSD

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+1: I've always been a huge fan of Geck-o but his biggest hits - Soul Train, Assquake in whichever edit, How Low Can You Go - took YEARS to find them enjoyable. They were always "meeeh" at that time and then BAM, magic happened! (obviously not magic, just my taste changed)

[[]]

Wildstylez and NC were pioneers with kicks. Now I think the kicks are perfect but the melodies are boring

This.

And I agree completely. The kick is by far the most difficult and frustrating part of hardstyle production. Takes weeks to get a kick how you want it.

The problem with hardstyle today is that because kicks are getting so experimental, and because hardstyle is no longer 100% underground, the "public" opinion within the scene is that it's all about the kick now. Today, a hardstyle track is just BAM BAM BAM BAM "droppin droppin like a OG" and not much else. A hard dance version of trap, and that's some complete bs.

Hardstyle is a mysterious and underground genre. I much preferred when the entire scene explored deep philosophical, existential and spiritual concepts in the music (which clashed perfectly with Qlimax and Hard Bass), while exercising abstract music sounds and concepts. Back then there was true artistry being exercised.

Tracks like
Bioweapon - How else can I say it
Wildstylez & Alpha2 - Atrocious
The hose - The piano song (alla vecchia mix)
Bass Modulators - Radiance

And many more, were truly musically daring and unique. They were the kind of tracks that just grabbed you by your soul and helped you stay in a completely different world for the time being. And that without changing the music into a marketing tool to appeal to popular culture people.

Raw hardstyle and euphoric don't do that. I don't like either of them. One is a hard dance version of trap. The other is EDM with distorted kicks. The music is still fun and entertaining, but the glory days ended in 2014.

[Xurreal]

And many more, were truly musically daring and unique.

Barely anything in edm has ever been truly unique (exception ). Usually it's just - either you like it or not.

One is a hard dance version of trap

Don't see too many Trap influences in Hardstyle, referring to Hard Trap being its own subgenre (probably more popular with Dubstep-crowds.)
Would guess you mean the more predictable structure, including longer breaks?

[omarak2229]

One is a hard dance version of trap. The other is EDM with distorted kicks.

is it bad that I can't tell which one of those descriptors is raw or euphoric?

[[]]

And many more, were truly musically daring and unique.

Barely anything in edm has ever been truly unique (exception ). Usually it's just - either you like it or not.

One is a hard dance version of trap

Don't see too many Trap influences in Hardstyle, referring to Hard Trap being its own subgenre (probably more popular with Dubstep-crowds.)
Would guess you mean the more predictable structure, including longer breaks?

1. Real Hardstyle is not EDM, so you're wrong. And to say that even EDM hasn't ever been unique is rather close minded in my opinion. Anyway, I'm talking about what the Hardstyle genre was doing from 2006 - 2012. It was truly it's own thing back then, and mostly without any mainstream influences. Honest and refreshing music.

2. I see A LOT of trap influences, especially in raw. Both in how tracks are structured, but also in the lyrical themes and purpose of them. Lyrical meaning, again, stuff like; "Imma OG" "dropping like a boss" "I'm bla bla bla bla" etc. Annoying stuff like that. Secondly, I'm referring to the unbridled obsession with making the perfect "kick" and to make as much noise as possible after a build up. Essentially introducing the infamous "drop" into a genre that wasn't meant to use this hype generating mechanism.

[[]]

One is a hard dance version of trap. The other is EDM with distorted kicks.

is it bad that I can't tell which one of those descriptors is raw or euphoric?

Nope... You're good. That's just what happens when mainstream culture kills off yet another unique sub culture.

[Reverse Ghost]

Dunno if unpopular or not. Is HDM mood much better at USA/Americas than HDM mood at Benelux/Europe ?

100% my guy. I remember when DJs tried bringing that melodic style here to appeal to the "EDM" crowd but it didn't much go over well. Anytime a DJ breaks out some older tracks or some heavy ones the crowd goes apeshit, mostly since we're so rarely exposed to it that we aren't as spoiled as most NL partygoers who would usually have a Hardstyle party every other weekend. With that said though the HDM crowd here is so small that it's not worth most DJs flying out here for a party or tour.
Even going as far back as the 90s our crowds were generally more hyped and "violent" than most others, except of course Sala 2 in Italy That's most apparent if you look at these old videos:

[Xurreal]

1. Real Hardstyle is not EDM, so you're wrong. And to say that even EDM hasn't ever been unique is rather close minded in my opinion.

Is it being played with acoustic guitars on funfairs?

I believe my opinions towards electronic dance music might be quite biased, but I've also listened to one or two tracks from other subgenres in my lifetime.

2. I see A LOT of trap influences, especially in raw. Both in how tracks are structured, but also in the lyrical themes and purpose of them. Lyrical meaning, again, stuff like; "Imma OG" "dropping like a boss" "I'm bla bla bla bla" etc. Annoying stuff like that. Secondly, I'm referring to the unbridled obsession with making the perfect "kick" and to make as much noise as possible after a build up. Essentially introducing the infamous "drop" into a genre that wasn't meant to use this hype generating mechanism.

There's more Trap than Yellow Claw's party songs.

edit: on a 2nd I'm not sure if you've listened to much trap music.